Follower for loose-leaf binders



May 4, 1948. c, FRANZ, JR 2,440,939

FOLLOWER FOR LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS Filed April 29, 1944 I i I INVENTOR. BY -%%m ATTORNEY.

Charles H. FmhgJz: I

Patented May 4, 1948 FOLLOWER FOR LOOSE-LEAF BINDERS' Charles H. Franz, Jr., Wauwatosa, Wis assignor to The Heinn Company, Milwaukee, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application April 29, 1944, Serial No. 533,324

This invention relates to a follower for loose leaf binders.

The follower functions to prevent tearing of border sheets in ring binders from repeated opening and closing of the binder, and also to facilitate closing of the binder by tending to raise the sheets on the rings to a point where they can lie straight.

Most followers are constructed of stiff fiber board and have enlarged holes for the ring posts. Some have attached metal lips on their inner edges for determining their location in the binder and making it possible to close the binder without binding of the sheets and follower on the posts. Such lips as heretofore constructed add considerable to theexpense of the follower and are not suitable for use with binders of plastic material.

The principal objects of the present invention are to provide a less costly follower and one which will function more readily and easily and be suitable for use with binders of any material.

The invention is carried out by providing a cy lindrical tubular roller at the inner edge of the follower sheet to thereby support the sheet by a rolling contact on the base of the binder. The

rollers may be secured in loop like extensions out from the same sheet of the follower material to be integral with the follower and the roller may be made by providing a flat thin strip of fiber or metal of a width fitting within the loop and forming the strip into a closed tube encircling the outer portion of the loop.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a binder showing the follower in place;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the follower broken away in the middle;

Figure 3 is an edge elevation of the follower as shown in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a section taken on line 44 of Figure 2 transversely through the follower sheet and roller; and

Figure 5 is a, plan view similar to Figure 2 showing the use of a roller with a modified loop and with the roller partially sectioned.

The follower comprises a sheet I preferably of stiff fiber material of a length corresponding to the length of the paper sheets 2 in the binder 3 and having a width usually substantially less than that of the sheets 2.

The follower sheet l has a. series of holes 4 near the inner edge thereof for receiving the fixture posts 5 of the ring binder 3. The holes 8 Claims. (c1.129 4 4, instead of being circular as in sheets 2, are ref erably oblong with a width substantially greater than the thickness of the posts '5 and a length about twice that of the width. The length of the holes and spacing of the same will be standard as in the case of the punching of sheets 2 for most ring binders. r

In order to raise the follower along the sides of the posts 5 during closing, a rectangular loop 6-of the samefiber material is cut from the same stock as sheet I at the inner edge of the latter. Preferably there are two such loops 6, one near each end of the sheet I, but there may be more eachof the loops has the opening I therethrough constituting a long slit running parallel with the inner edge of-the follower.

A roller 8 is formed on each loop 6 by bend- I ing a flat strip of suitable materiaL-such as fiber or polished metal, around theo'uter closure of the loop into a, closed tubular shape. The roller 8 should be suificiently thin to pass through opening 1 in loop 6 with ease and of sufficient diameter to be loose on the loop 6 to allow for ready turning of the roller thereon.

The loop E'may not form an extension on the ,sheet,'and may constitute merely a slit or opening I in the body of the sheet I parallel and near to the inner edge of the sheet as shown in Figure 5. The roller 8' is thenformed to pass through the opening 1.

The rollers roll upon that portion of the fix ture plate of the binder 3 intermediate the posts 5 and upon closing of the'binder they tend to raise the follower sheet I and the note book sheets 2 supported thereby upwardly along the sides of the 1 posts to a point where the sheets will lie flat with the binder covers.

The curved nature of the rollers makes it possible for them to fit beneath the inner edges of sheets 2 without interfering with them, andthe rollers tend to separate the edges of sheets 2 on one side of the binder from those on the other I side when the binder is open.

In so far as the rollers 8 tend to keep the sheets 2 on the opposite sides of the open binder separated they prevent interference sometimes reof its manufacture enables the follower to be made by mass production methods with-very. little waste. of material and at considerably less cost than former followers. This is so: without sacrificing any of the functional advantages. involved, and in fact with a structure having added advantages over former followers.

The invention may have various embodiments within the scope of the accompanying claims:

I claim:

1-. .A, ring binder follow-er for assemblywith: a. binder having a fixture. plate supporting; a pinrality-of binder posts toihold sheets. of, material in the binder; and comprising a. stiff: sheet. having holes. along. its: inner edge. for receiving the posts ofthebinder, and. freely retatingroller risers. mounted along its inner edge to support-the same by; rolling; contact uponthe fixture plate of the binder.

2.. A ring; binder follower for assembly with a. binder having; afixture plate supporting a pluralityof binder posts. to hold sheets of material: in. the binder, and comprising a stiif sheet hav-- ing holes along its inner edge for receiving the posts of the binder,. and freely rota-ting roller risers mounted along its inner edge to support the: same by rolling-,- contactuponthefixture plate ofthebinder, said. rollers constituting cylindrical tubular members encircling. projections on the inner. edgeof thesheet.

3. A. ring binder follower for assembly: with a binder having a fixture. platesupporting. a..plu rality of, binder posts to, hold sheets of. material in the binder, and comprising; a, stiif sheet. having holes. along. its inner. edge for receiving. the Posts of the binder. and. freely: rotating roller risers mounted. along. its. inner edge. tosupport thcrsame by rolling contact-upon. thev fixtureplate of-thebinden. said. rollers constituting cylindrical tubular members encircling closed 1oop-Iike=pr0.-- jectlonson theinner edgeof the sheet.

4. A ring binder followerv for assembl with. av binder having. a. fixture. plate. supporting, a plurality'. of binder posts, to hold. sheets of material in. the bincim', and comprising. a. still. sheet having oblong transversely extending. holes along. its. inner edge. for receiving. the. posts of, the. binder, a plurality of integral extensions at theinner edge. of. the. sheet having, elements extending parallel to. and spaced from. said edges, and a. freely. r.o tating tubular roller. encircling, said. element of 4 each extension for supporting the follower upon the fixture plate of the binder.

5. In a ring binder having a fixture plate supporting a plurality of binder posts to hold sheets of material in the binder, a pair of followers disposed between the binder and the sheets of material and each comprising a stiff sheet having oblong transversely extending holes along its inner edge for receiving the posts on one side of the binder, a plurality of integral extensions at the inner edge of the follower sheet having elements extending parallel to and spaced from said edge, and a freely rotating tubular roller encircling said element of each extension for supporting the. follower upon the fixture plate of the binder; said extensions and rollers being spaced apartv equally on said pair of followers and unequally spaced from the respective ends of each follower-to prevent interference between the extensions and rollers on the one follower with thosefonv the other follower employed in the same binder when said followers are reversed end for end relative to. each other.

6; In a. follower for loose leaf binders having a central fixture. plate, a follower sheet of stiff material: and freely rotating rollers disposedalong the inner edge thereof to provide rollingcontact support therefor upon the fixture plate of the binder.

In a follower for loose leaf binders having a central fixture plate, a follower sheet of stifi material:- and; freely rotating. rollers disposed along the: inner edge thereof to provide rolling contact support. therefor upon the: fixture plate of the binder; said rollers constituting tubular cylindrical. members. each having a side passing. through asletin the. body'of the follower sheet.v

8. In a follower for loose leaf binders, a follower sheet ofstiifi material having a plurality of aligned slQts; extending: parallel. to the inner edge of the sheet, near the same and spaced longitudinally therea10ng,'a'nd a. plurality ofrelatively thin; cylindrioal rollers for corresponding slots, eachof saidz rollers; having one side passing through the corresponding: slot to roll freely on that portion: of the sheet between the slot: and the inner edge of thesheet.

- CHARLES H. FRANZ, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,832,824 Unger Nov. 17, 1931 1,884,059 McMillan Oct. 25, 1-932 1,896,872 Uhger Feb. '7, 1933 2,252,792 Unger Aug. 19, 1941 2,276,987 Kengott Mar. 17, 1-942 

